Dhaka: The Election Commission on Thursday announced the second phase of election in 684 Union Councils fixing 31 March for balloting.

According to the schedule, the deadline for the submission of nomination paper is 2 March, while the nomination papers will be scrutinised on 5 and 6 March and the last date for the withdrawal of candidature is 13 March.

District election officers declared the schedules by issuing gazette notifications in the districts concerned, said an EC Secretariat press release.

Earlier on 11 February, the EC announced the election schedule for the first phase election in 752 UCs fixing 22 March for balloting. Subsequently, election in more than dozen UCs was postponed on various grounds.

For the first phase election, the deadline for the submission of nomination paper is 22 February, while the nomination papers will be scrutinised on 23 and 24 February and the last date for the withdrawal of candidature is 2 March.

The Commission has worked out a plan to arrange elections to 4,275 out of the country's 4546 Union Councils in six phases.

Besides, the Commission has a plan to arrange election in 711 UCs on 23 April in the 3rd phase, while 728 UCs on 7 May in the 4th phase, in 714 on 28 May in 5th phase and in 660 UCs on 4 June in the 6th phase.